Friday, January 23, 2009
The Hours Review-thing
So far, I have really enjoyed The Hours. The style is a nice change from a lot of the heavier books we have read. In the first chapter I was somewhat irritated by the mimicking of Mrs. Dalloway, (Couldn't Cunningham come up with his own story?) but as the Virginia Woolf and Laura Brown chapters were introduced, and Clarissa's story diverged from Woolf's version, I started liking it a lot more. The writing is pretty but easy to read, and the plot, though comprised only of mundane events, is interesting (not gripping but..). The characters are very different but completely relate-able, and remind me (as was probably the point) of the characters in Mrs. Dalloway, not only by their actions and personalities but by the way they (or Cunningham) merge deep, philosophical trains of thought with everyday observations. I don't think it really copies Woolf's book. Mrs. Dalloway is used as a point of departure, in the way that an artist can base a painting off of a photograph, and then change the color-scheme. It would probably have been better if Cunningham had been completely original, but I like what he has done with this. Besides, what is completely original? All inspiration comes from somewhere, though the source is usually warped beyond recognition in the product.
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2 comments:
I completely agree with that, couldn't have said it better myself. Without the Laura Brown and Woolf parts, it would have been incredibly excruciating to have to re-read Mrs. Dalloway all over again, but this time in point of view of a man. No thanks.
Emma,
I like your term "a point of departure"--I think it absolves Cunningham of being entirely derivative (even as it acknowledges that he seems to want to pay homage to Woolf). Moreover, I think that the further you get into the book, the more you'll find it departing from the source novel (as Mrs. Brown becomes a little more foregrounded). You should have a fun time defending the book from Dee's attack (which we'll be reading next week).
For now, I'm simply glad you're enjoying the read!
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